A hothead in Long Beach
by AmusedLight
Summary: Jim Walker, an troubled young white teenager is filled with hatred and bitterness ever since he lost his parents at a young age and has been growing around with the wrong people. After released from juvenile hall, he's transferred to a different school. Foul language/racism included. Please leave a review/comment.
1. Chapter 1

**The main character will be an OC of mine since it will be the first time to use one and not do a Naruto crossover, this is going to be the first time to write an OC.**

**Note; this will contain harsh language and racism, so just you know.**

**1994**

Sitting in a public bus, that was going to his new school was a young white teenager wearing a white t-shirt underneath a gray hoodie that was over his head that didn't make it easy to see his face, blue jeans, and black running shoes wore a black cap forwards. He was sitting in the back of the bus while staring through the window.

His name was Jim Walker or just known as Jimmy, and he was on his way to his new school that he was sent to after being released from Juvenile hall, serving a two and a half year sentence for a crime he had committed when he was fifteen years old and graduated from middle school.

Jim did not have it easy, he grew up without his mother nor his father and had to learn growing up fast. He'd done things he wasn't proud of and had shown he was nobody to be messed with, and he had the ink to prove it and the scars.

The bus had finally stopped after almost half an hour's drive, The almost seventeen-year-old was about to re-do his freshman year in High school since his behavior got him suspended, expelled and even got him doing time in Juvenile hall, kicking him out of Venice Beach High by the first semester.

He stepped off the bus and saw that there was almost no one here, which made sense since it was just 5 in the morning and it was a day before the first school day, he only had to come here to speak with the principal about the rules and conditions that were laid here for his situation. So the only persons he knew were present at the school property were the teachers who arrived early to come and prepare for the upcoming new school year. He looked up the entrance of the school with above the entrance reading the words.

**_'Woodrow Wilson High School'_**

"Excuse me,"

The young man turned to his right to see a woman in a red dress walking over to him with this wide smile on her face "Sorry that I have to ask but I'm new here and I don't know where to go. Do you know where Ms. Campbell's office is?"

Jim responded, "Sorry to say but I'm also new here."

"Oh,"

"Miss Gruwell." The two turned around to see a shorter woman dressed nicely was walking down the stairs towards them.

She smiles at the red dress wearing woman "We were expecting you, welcome to Wilson High. I'm Margaret Ms. Campbell. It's nice to meet you."

"Thank you, it's very nice to meet you. I've been eager to be here."

"I'm sure you are." The smaller woman replied politely before turning to the teenager and saw what the young man wore, and by the looks of it she sternly but politely asked: "And who might you be?"

Jim already saw she pre-judged him and lazily answered: "My name is Jim Walker."

"Ah….so you're the student Mr. Sweeney has talked about." The small woman said with some discontent in her voice, much to the confusing from the red dressed woman "I'll lead you to the principal's office, that's directly next to mine. Come." They both started following the small woman into the school building.

* * *

**Ms. Campbell's office **

Ms. Campbell had prepared two cups of coffee and handed one over to the new Freshman English teacher "Here's your coffee."

"Thank you." Gruwell happy accepted the cup of coffee and took a sip from it before reminding herself on something and eagerly puts the cup down and reaches for her bag "I brought my lesson plan. I'd love it if you'd look them over."

"Yes," Ms. Campbell didn't give her an eye contact response and took out her schedule she laid out for the new teacher "and these are the classes you'll start with." Handing them over to the young woman "Freshman English, four classes, about 151 students in all."

Gruwell nods and gave her plan to her colleague while she began reading the schedule and list of students she would get. If she'd look up she would notice that Ms. Campbell took a peek at her expensive jewelry of a pearl necklace she was wearing around her neck, she was dealing with a naïve one possibly who doesn't understand the dangers of wearing such luxuries around 'her' students.

"Some of them are just out of juvenile hall, one or two might be wearing ankle cuffs to monitor their whereabouts." Ms. Campbell looked through Gruwell's plan "And you see here, we'll have to revise your lesson plans. And if you look at their scores, these vocabulary lists and some of these, the books, Homer's _The Odyssey_, they're gonna be too difficult for them.

A slight disappointment was already seen on her face and Ms. Gruwell replies "All right."

"Also," Ms. Campbell wasn't done yet "for most of them to get here it takes three buses almost 90 minutes each way."

"My God." Gruwell stunned by that, did kids really have to travel from that far to get to school?

"So I wouldn't give them too much of a homework load." Ms. Campbell advised her "You'll just be wasting a lot of time following up on overdue work. All right, thank you." She ends closing the plan of Ms. Gruwell and putting it aside.

Gruwell understood her and replies "Okay, I understand.

Ms. Campbell smiles at her and grabs for her coffee and asks "You're from Newport Beach?"

Ms. Gruwell answered "Yes."

Ms. Campbell kept a good smile to her as she explains "It's too bad you weren't here even two years ago, you know, we used to have one of the highest scholastic records in the district. But since voluntary integration was suggested, we've lost over 75% of our strongest students." She said shaking her head, in her lifetime she never saw such a decline of honorable and good students flock off, now that a massive influx of students from different parts of Long Beach attended Wilson High the school's reputation as a good school diminished vastly.

Ms. Gruwell couldn't help but see it in a different light and spoke her word "Well, actually, I chose Wilson because of the integration program. I think what's happening here is really exciting, don't you?" She countered with a question before resuming to talk "My father was involved in the civil rights movement. And I remember when I was watching the LA riots on TV, I was thinking of going to law school at the time and I thought, 'God, by the time you're defending a kid in the courtroom the battle's already lost' I think the real fighting should happen here in the classroom.'" Ms. Gruwell told her reason for inspiration of teaching to the older woman.

"Well, that's a very well-thought-out phrase." Ms. Campbell kept her positive attitude on her face but clearly already saw what she was dealing with here and thought it was for the best to tell her at least to stay rational "Erin, I think you're a lovely, intelligent woman. But you're a first-time teacher. As head of this department, I have to be confident you're capable of dealing with what we have to face here."

"I am, I know I have a lot to learn as a teacher but I'm a really good student." Ms. Gruwell replies "I am, and I really want to be here."

Ms. Campbell's smile didn't disappear from the face and spoke "Those are lovely pearls."

"Thank you." Ms. Gruwell smiling replied touching the pearls "From my father."

The elder woman then gave a final advice "I wouldn't wear them to class."

* * *

**The principal's office**

Jim just sat on the chair at the bureau while principal Banning grabs for the file on his desk.

"Mr. Walker," The principal didn't look at the young man while asking questions and kept reading his file "I've read your file," he turned a page "you know that your probation officer has given you direct orders to follow, right?"

Jim just looked down at his hands and starts rubbing them "Yes, sir."

"That includes meetings with your probation officer as often as required, once a week. Being at home before your curfew starts."

"No offense, sir." Jim interrupted him "But I already know the conditions."

"That may be, but because of someone with a record like yours, it's only safe to say you're going to go by some of the mine conditions." He pointed his finger at the hooded young man "Especially with the affiliations you are recognized with, because the last thing we need above all those troubling kids from the other side of town, is a burning match to ignite a riot here."

"Pffft, just kick me out already."

"That was my first thought also," The principal stated back before sighing "but I'm left with little choice, you can thank your probation officer for that. As the matter also your counselor has vouched for you to be given a chance. You're speaking of luck because Mr. Sweeney is a personal friend of mine."

"Tsk, of course."

"Not to forget, I hope you haven't forgotten your obligation to meet up with your counselor five times a week, you know his address. Your classes, you will be placed with the other low scoring students."

"Great, can't wait." Jim scoffed sarcastically, he'd heard those 'lower students' were mostly from the gang-infested parts of Long Beach, meaning some gang members will be present there, and someone of his skin color, that meant problems.

"You can keep those remarks for yourself. But I will give you a warning," the principal stood up and directly spoke to the young hooded man "if I find out you're causing any scenes here or around the school, I will personally make sure you will go back to where you belong; behind bars."

The teenager looked up, glaring right back at the older man, his fists clutched under the table but he kept himself calm.

"You can leave now," the school principal said to him sitting down "You're free for the rest of the day now, so get your school supplies from the secretary." The principal said to him as he proceeded to do his administrative work "You can go now."

Jim stood up and shoved his chair forwards before exiting the room through the open door. Leaving the principal alone.

* * *

After getting the school books and the hour schedule from the secretary, Jim hopped back on the first bus he cached and was back on his way home. That was just great, getting up this early to go all the way down to his new school to speak with that asshole principal to only be forced again on a long bus ride back to Venice Beach.

After another one and a half-hour ride he got to his final point and took off the bus with his bag of school supplies. He walked across the street and enters the building of his former school, Venice Beach High.

Once inside, he walked up straight through the hallways that were empty, and got to the secretary's office and sees no one behind the desk.

Maybe, he could sneak away and-

"Mr. Walker, get in here." The stern voice came from the principal's office "and don't think I will warn you again."

"Fuck…." Jim cursed to himself as he turned around and went to the door, he opened it up and saw Mr. Sweeney sitting right there behind his desk, the elder African American with no hair was staring him down and gestured him.

"Have a seat, Jimmy."

He did that and dropped his bag of books next to him as he sat down the chair, he saw some little American flags on sticks and grabs one of them for him to spin around with it, trying to not look eye to eye with the black man.

"How are you?"

"I'm doing alright, thanks for asking," Jimmy answered reluctantly.

"I just was on the phone with Ms. Campbell, she said you had a conversation with the principal."

Jim chuckled at that "Yeah, some conversation."

"I'm not here to laugh, Mr. Walker." Sweeney told him "I assume you already picked up all your books, supplies and schedule." To which he nodded "Good because we're going to plan for you to come here every single school day for the next six months."

"Oh come on, Sweeney! Give me a break. This is not fair, man." Jimmy protested "I already have to step on too fucking early on a bus-"

"No it is fair," Sweeney stopped him from talking "You know that this was going to be this way. Consider yourself lucky that you got a second chance."

"What, because of you?" Jim asked him rolling his eyes "you didn't have to do it."

"No, I didn't have to." Sweeney said at him "but I don't have to remind you of the reasons for that…." Sweeney had known Jimmy for a long time when he was just an small boy who lived in the same neighborhood as him, long before he got himself into trouble and started hanging out with the wrong type of crowd that he saw some kids being lured into "Just come here right after school, you live just a foot distance away from here so that won't be a problem, will it?"

Jim shook his head "No, it isn't."

"Good," Sweeney waved his hand back and said, "I don't feel like you need to be reminded of the rules of your probation."

"Thank God." Jimmy groaned while standing up "May I go now?"

"Sure you can," Sweeney said to him pointing at the door "I hope you have a good day, Jimmy."

"Yeah, you too," Jim said with little energy as he walked out of the door with his bag of books. Leaving the black principal and counselor to his own thoughts.

_'This is his last chance, I hope you change your ways, Jimmy because if you get busted one more time, I won't be able to help you out anymore.' _

* * *

Jimmy walked out of the school building and was about to go home until somebody yelled out his name.

"Hey, Jimmy!"

He turned around to see someone coming up to him, he smiled seeing who it was and laughed "Hey, Danny!"

Danny Vinyard was his best friend from his old neighborhood who he had known forever since they were in elementary school, he was a little older than him but their families were longtime friends with each other.

"Fuck me, when did they let you out of juvie," He asked checking underneath his hoodie "and when did you let your hair grow out?"

"I can ask the same for you," he pointed at his bald head until he notices the tattoo on his arm "I see you got yourself some ink."

"Yeah, look for yourself," Danny showed it to him, it was a black cross in a circle with the letters D.O.C in it "Seth got me one, just a month ago. Jason and Chris also got one."

"Jason and Chris huh?" Jim said chuckling "I see everyone is in for it now these days."

"Yeah, after what Derek pulled off with those carjackers, everyone now starts noticing it." Derek was Danny's older brother. He was a committed white supremacist who wasn't afraid to say what needed to be said or done what had to be done. He is one of the most respected members of the movement. He gained some sort of demigod status when word spread out he shot and killed two black gang members who were trying to steal car in the middle of the night. Derek now was serving three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

"Have you contacted your brother?" Jim asked him since he looked up to Derek like a follow figure "It's been a while since we heard of him."

Danny scratches his head "No man, he doesn't send letters out. But my mom visits sometimes. Anyway, what are you up to, coming here and visit Sweeney?"

"Yeah, you know I got kicked out of here. I now have to come every day after school to talk to him all the way from my new school."

"Which one?" Danny asked.

Jim just puffed "Woodrow Wilson, Long Beach."

Danny widen his eyes "Long Beach? They send you to a god damn warzone." Danny said before they both started laughing about it.

"You know what, if you survive Long Beach, no doubt Cameron will like it, he says we need to explore enemy territory. Seth man, he wouldn't survive in a second without anyone to back him up."

"That fat fuck, he still not losing weight?" Seth was an obese man and one of Derek's closest friends in the movement.

"Like he could." Danny smirked before saying "What are you planning tonight? We can go and-"

"Sorry, Danny, but I'm not going anywhere, not with this." Jim said pulling up the left side of his pants, showing the ankle monitor bracelet attached to his leg "for at least six months, I am barred to go out of the house then for school or activities to 9 in the evening. Also, I cannot be seen with any of the other guys or else I'm fucked."

Danny looked down the ankle and saw for the first time how an ankle monitor bracelet looks like.

"Damn, that sucks…" He commented before looking up and reminding himself "Shit, I got to get to Sweeney's office."

"Don't let me hold you up, just go."

"Right. I'll see you next time." Danny said started to sprint for the building but said "Don't let those punks in Long Beach mess with you!"

"I won't," Jim promised as he waved him goodbye, he started walking back home. Hopefully he would forget this day and just go on these next few years without any problems.

Once he got back home, which was just a rundown old apartment complex, he started walking up the steps and ignore the trash that was left littering around the place. It was safe to say Jim lived in one of the bad sides of Venice Beach.

He got to his apartment and grab for his keys. Opening the door he was met with the horrible smell of liquor and smoke that escaped out of the door and got in the face of the young offender.

"Oh, God." He pinched his nose shut and entered the apartment, what he saw was nothing new. All the lights were out, the smoke was seen up to the ceiling and the only thing that was heard was the small black and white television in the living room. laying in front of it on a sofa was a bald bearded man passed out with a beer can in his hand, totally in his underwear covered in drenched sweat. That was his guardian and useless drunk of Uncle Ted.

Jim shook his head while walking passed the trash of empty beer cans and empty pizza boxes to get to his room which was open. And when he got inside his room, he locked the door behind him and fell on his bed, going to sleep.

* * *

**Next Morning**

After waking up and trying to make some breakfast with a bowl of cereal without milk and some orange juice, he started to prepare himself. Jim still wore the clothes he wore yesterday. The reason for that is because he didn't have many clothes to begin with, let alone some shoes he had been giving as a present when he was in Juvie but had to fight someone who stole them.

He packed his books for today and walked out of his room, seeing his drunken uncle was gone he didn't need to watch out walking outside the room.

* * *

Here he goes, his first day into Freshman Year, again. And even worse, he was running late. The reason why was because the god damn bus was coming late, just what he needed to have set up on his pile of troubles. He was literally sprinting through the hallways to get quickly to his first class.

He stopped and started looking around "203, 203, where the fuck is 203!"

he suddenly felt someone grab his shoulder "Our first latecomer."

"Ah, fuck!"

* * *

Ms. Gruwell saw that her class was all brought here by a hall guard, all the students chose their seats and saw they all dropped their bags and quickly turned their seats to one another to face their groups. Asians, Black, and Latinos already self-segregated themselves, there were a few exceptions.

So she turned around and starts writing her name on the chalkboard, not knowing she had chalk dust on the bottom of her dress.

"Hey girl, wanna give me some fries with that shake?" One of the black teens in the middle said, wearing a green jersey with a green hat. His friends laughed and slapped hands with him.

She heard that and ignored that joke before turning around and smiling at her class "My name is Erin Gruwell. Welcome to Freshman English." She introduced herself just when a young Latino who just was done cleaning up graffiti entered her classroom.

She then began going through the names of her students to check on them "Okay, Brandy Ross?"

A black girl raised her hand up.

"Gloria Munez?"

A Latina girl who was busy reading her magazine lazily raised her hand for Ms. Gruwell to notice.

"Alejandro Santiago?"

"Andre Bryant?"

A hand was raised up by a black teenager, hiding under the hood of his heavy jacket.

Ms. Gruwell looked back down the list and calls out "Eva Benitez."

"A-va." Someone from the back corrected her, making everyone turn around to see it came from a Latina girl who had her hair tied up in a bum "Not E-va."

Ms. Gruwell nodded "A-va."

Eva stood up "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Okay," Ms. Gruwell saw the student already walking off "make sure you get-"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Came from the hallway as two hall guards entered the room dragging Jim with his hood to the wall, blocking Eva from grabbing the hall pass.

"Hands against the wall, kid." the black hall guard instructed as he was going to do a body search.

Ms. Gruwell asked, "Excuse me, what's seems to be the problem?"

"Don't worry miss. It's just a check, I believe he's one of your students because he was looking for class 203." the white hall guard said to her turning to the teacher while the whole class turned around to watch the body search.

The black guard pulled off his hoodie, revealing it to be a white boy with a cap on his head.

Jamal Hill could but joke "Ah, white boy trying to be something he ain't." gaining some laughs from the classroom and some snickers.

"Like I would imitate you, stupid moron…" Jim was heard silently grumbling before he felt his gray hoodie being pulled up with his t-shirt.

From the class perspective, they saw that this white boy had several tattoos on his back, including the three letters D.O.C, several Vikings tattoos, and a cross written beneath under it what only those from the back row and Eva only could read because of the guard blocking the view of some of the others, it read;

**_100 percent to the bone, _**

**_if you ain't white, _**

**_you ain't right…_**

Jamal's visible smile turned into a disgusting frown "I take that back."

The guard didn't pay much attention to his ink and dropped the shirt back down "Alright, you're clear. Stay out of trouble."

"Like I could," Jim said, he knew that some of the students saw the ink, not that it matters. He wasn't planning on trying to make friends in this place. He grabs his bag and sees the two hall guards leave the room. He turns around to the class, seeing the many glares he was receiving from the other students who read the tattoos on his back.

Not letting himself be intimidated by them, Jim walks passed them, noticing the Latina lady standing next to him was giving a glare with a silent comment.

"Yeah, get on with it…"

Jim responded by smiling at her before walking passed him, he took an empty seat behind the only other white kid in class. Meanwhile, Ms. Gruwell tried to break off the tension by beginning her lesson.

"Okay," she tried "Let's get on to it." she turned around and began drawing words on the chalkboard.

Some of the other students were either talking to each other or some were directly talking about the white boy. Eva on the other hand just left the room with the hall pass to go to the toilet

"Man, he's going to get his ass whooped."

Jim didn't give a crap what they were saying. He now had to make sure he wasn't getting jumped now, which honestly to him was more exciting than school.

It's been a while since he had a fight, and he doesn't turn one down.

**That is the first chapter, hopefully you liked it. If you did, please leave a review and tell me what you think about it. I now will be working on some other stories.**

**Peace!**


	2. Chapter 2

The first period had finally ended, and Jim was looking for his locker so he could put his books away. Boy, did he need to walk a good distance to get to his one. He finally found it and starts unlocking it the code on it until it opened it and threw some of his books into it before closing it.

Then to his left, he saw someone from his English class earlier opening up her locker, it was one of the Asians, Sindy he believed was her name.

Sindy noticed that she was being stared at and turned a glare at Jim "What are you looking at?" she said slamming her locker and walks off. Jim just snorted and closes his own locker as he then walks towards his next class. He believed it was now Math or something.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Teacher's lounge**

Erin Gruwell was pouring coffee into her cup and tried to comprehend the first hours of teaching she just had. She knew that teaching wasn't going to be easy but she was not prepared when two of her students started fighting in the middle of the class after one of them called the other 'dumb'.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down, its only been the first day.

"Erin." She heard someone say her name and turned around to see Ms. Campbell sitting by the table with the other teacher "Come sit please, I would like to you to meet someone."

She smiles and goes sitting by their table as Ms. Campbell introduces her to the male teacher "This is Brian Gilford. He teaches the Junior English and the distinguish Honor's class."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you." Ms. Gruwell offered her hand to Mr. Gilford and they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you too." Mr. Gilford replies as they sit back down "Saw a little action today, I heard."

Erin just nervously replied to them "It happened so fast."

"Don't be discouraged," Gilford said to Erin "Put your time in and in a few years you'll be able to teach juniors, they are a pleasure. By then most of your kids will be gone anyway." He said casually to Ms. Gruwell's confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a corny smile.

"Eventually, they just stop coming." The junior teacher said shrugging his shoulder's off.

But Ms. Gruwell didn't seem to see it in the same way "Well if I do my job, they might be lining up the door. Right?" she asked seeing the rare smiles on their faces. Something said to her those weren't generous smiles.

Mr. Gilford shrugs his throat and tried to change the subject by complimenting her jewelry "Nice pearls."

"Thank you…but, I want to ask you a question, Ms. Campbell."

"Oh?" she puts her mug down and asked, "What is it that you want to ask?"

"Well, there's this student in my class who was late," Ms. Gruwell brought up the incident in her class that happened before the fight "but he also was being searched by some of the hall guards in front of the class." Gruwell pulled out her schedule from her bag and finds his name "His name was Jim Walker I believe.

The two teachers looked at each other briefly, knowing who that person was because Principal Banning had told every teacher in the school about this particular student and the kind of group he was associated with.

Ms. Gruwell noticed the looks "Is there something about him I don't know?"

"No," Campbell said calmly to her in a polite way "There's nothing for you to worry about, Erin." She said before continuing to drink her coffee mug.

Ms. Gruwell turned to Gilford who in response only shrugs it off and continued reading the newspaper. What was this about this student Jim Walker?

* * *

**Noon**

**lunch break**

Jim was sitting in the middle of the cafeteria at a table, while all the tables around him were full with students eating their lunches, the seventeen-year-old was seen sitting by himself, with his hood over his head, slowly eating his free lunch. It didn't bother Jim that he was sitting alone, for all he cared it was rather a blessing. Not being around annoying people he was forced to sit in the classes.

He took his last bite before his tray was fully finished and shoved it away from him, after that he grabs his backpack and pulls out a sketchbook of his and also a set of drawing pencils he took with him.

What Jim's favorite hobby was when he was a child, was drawing. Back in the day he used to draw about everything. He actually had improved his way of drawing that by his middle school year, he won first place in a drawing contest. He'd stopped drawing much about anything when the day his parents died and only began drawing again when he got involved with a new crowd, mainly now drawing his thoughts that in a way was very dark…..

"Hey."

Jimmy quickly closed his sketchbook and turned up to see someone standing there with a tray of food. The only other white kid in his English class.

"Can I sit here?"

Jimmy didn't saw a problem in that and answered: "Sure, sit."

"Thanks," He sat down across the opposite side of Jimmy and nervously introduced himself "My name is Ben, Ben Samuels."

"Jim Walker, but you can call me Jimmy." They both shook hands "Don't mind me asking, but why do you come sitting here?"

"Well, I don't know anyone else, I'm kinda new here." Ben looked down playing with his fork into the food "I'm sort of the loner here. So I don't actually have a lot of friends, not in here honestly."

Jim nodded as he kept listening to Ben and they both started talking about various things, Jim came to know that Ben was an actual alright guy, just a nervous one who was lacking behind than the others just for normal learning issues, he was nothing like the rest of the class including himself.

"So, where are you from?" Ben asked, "I haven't seen you around here."

"I'm from Venice," Jim took a bite from an apple he had left for last "was a student at Venice High until I got expelled, and I did two years in juvie for a crime I committed."

"Oh? For what?" Ben asked curiously. This might've not have been the best question he has asked.

"I turned a dude into a half-man, courts called it Attempted Murder," Jim said casually as he took a bite from the apple making Ben widen his eyes when he heard this and his words seem to choke into his mouth.

"Look I already did time for that, so don't bother asking me more about it." Jim said standing up and grabbing his backpack "I understand you won't talk to me after this, especially with the whole class knowing what's on my back, so keep it between us, alright?" Jim asked patting Ben's shoulder as he took off towards the exit.

Ben wasn't finished "What do you mean what's on your back?" Jim turned around and looked at Ben's facial expression that read confusion, he must've not seen his tattoos.

"Nevermind." Jim said picking up his tray and walking away "See you tomorrow." Luckily for him, it was Wednesday so he could leave earlier.

Not wanting to spend any more time here, Jim sprinted out of the schoolyard and was going right for the bus stops, hoping that he was able to catch one going to Venice.

He then saw his bus was about to leave and ran as fast as he could but was too late as it left the stop without him.

"Ah, nuts."

'BEEP! BEEP!'

Jim jumped back hearing that from behind and saw an orange minivan parked right there and sitting in it was an overweight man with no hair on his head but with a goatee and wore a mechanic overall.

He stuck his head out of his minivan and shouted "Jimmy!"

"Seth, what are you doing here?"

"What does it look like, you little shit. I'm picking you up from this infested shithole." Seth yelled gaining some weird stares from bypassing pedestrians "Now come on, get in the van before I'm going to kick you."

"Okay, shit." Jim said as he walked over to the seat next to Seth and hopped in "Where to?"

"Drop me off at Venice Beach High." The minivan drove away from the school.

Seth turned on the radio as it was busting out the typical music he loved "And, how was your first day in High School, did you get your first punch by a nigglet?" He joked casually at his own joke. Referring to black people in that slur.

"No, I did not Seth. I just wanna forget about it and get out of here." Jim slammed his head back and started staring through the open window at the buildings.

"When did you grow hair, Jim? Shave it off already."

"You know that stunt I pulled off, I at least need to lay low now. meaning no shaved head, no alcohol, no weapons, not even associating, heck I shouldn't even be seen with you."

"Yeah, I heard," Seth said driving, "Danny told me you're under a fucking microscope for the next six months."

"Danny told you?"

"Yes, he told it to me when we were all at Cameron's place, where we were reviewing the next tape we made." Explaining the activity of the Disciples of Christ, filming their activities and raids on local stores that were employing illegals who didn't have the right to take those jobs in the first place.

It all started in that grocery store a few years ago. Just a few months before Jimmy was busted and sent to Juvie.

_Flashback _

_1991_

_Standing in the parking lot was a fifteen-year-old Jimmy Walker who was in all black clothing, black boots, black jacket, pants and a cap with a black and white bandana underneath his neck for concealing his identity. He like the others was waiting for a few people to arrive. By so far a couple of dozen in similar clothing had already arrived, most of them were men but there were also a couple of women among them. They were standing on a parking lot with cars surrounding the group._

_Its been only a year since he lost his parents and now lived with his drunk useless uncle, after a while he felt all alone and was a target for bullies and street punks who would jump him every day for being in the wrong neighborhood with the wrong skin color._

_That was until the Vinyards came and helped him out, especially Derek and Danny. They would invite him to come and eat with them and sometimes let him bag his lunch for school and even let him come home with them. Before he was forced to live with his uncle, his parents and the Vinyard's family were close friends by profession, his father was a firefighter and his mother was a housewife just like the Vinyards._

_After Jim's parents died, Derek had in some sort taken a role as a guardian over Jim's life and taught him how to defend himself and made sure he was taken care of. Danny was, of course, his best friend and almost frequently visited his home to see if he's alright, just like the females of the Vinyard's who also watched out for the boy. Jim in actuality looked up to Derek as an older brother, if it wasn't for him he sure would be going down a bad path just like his uncle. Maybe even worse._

_"Here they come."_

_Jim looked back and saw Derek and Danny walk up to them and they saw Jim with his hat on and walked over to him to greet their friend._

_Derek was first to do that and patted him "Hey Jimbo, you alright?"_

_"Yeah, sure I am, thanks for asking." Derek was wearing all black and had a shaven head with small facial hair. Today was exactly one year Jim's parents were gone, and to add that, he had visited their graves just this morning ago with Derek's mom who bought flowers to put them on their gravestones._

_Derek's mom had told him and Danny that Jim was seen crying and that made him question if it was a good idea to let Jim in on it "You sure you want to join in, because this-"_

_"Derek, I've already made up my mind."_

_"But Jim, you need to think about it-" Danny tried to argue but Seth talked over._

_"Goddamnit, if Jim wants to help, let him help. Don't turn him into a pussy."_

_"I'm not turning him into a pussy Seth, I'm just trying to say he maybe shouldn't do it today."_

_"Shut up, both of you." Derek ordered the two as he turns back to Jim "Jim, are you sure you want this._

_"Like nothing else." He said staring him into his eyes, Derek could've sworn he read something in the boy's eyes. And saw he had his hands turn into fists "I don't want to be left out, I'm all in."_

_"….Alright," Derek said turning around to see one of his friends, Curtis, smoking something that was unacceptable "Curtis what is that?"_

_"Oh, come on, Derek."_

_"Weed's for niggers, put that away right now," Derek said to him, to which Curtis sighed and dropped the joint to the ground to put it off._

_Derek shook his head turning back around "Have a little self-respect."_

_Jim sees Derek walk into the middle, and sees he becomes the focus for everyone who was here and started listening to what he had to say._

_"Alright listen up, we need to open our eyes." Derek began speaking "There are more than 2 million illegal immigrants bedding down in this state tonight!" he paused shortly as he already was getting nods "This state spent 3 billion $ last year, on services, for those who do not have the right to be here in the first place!"_

_Jim looked over to Danny who briefly glanced at him before turning back to Derek._

_"3 Billion $, 400 million $ to jail a bunch of illegal criminals who only came to this country because the fucking INS decided: "It's not worth the effort to screen of convicted felons!" Derek turned around "Who gives a shit? Our government doesn't give a shit."_

_Jim's fist clinches after hearing that, it came to close to home. This was noticed by Derek who could only understand what Jim was feeling right now._

_"Our border policy's a joke." He stated "So, is anybody surprised that south of the border, they're laughing at us? Laughing at our laws?" a yeah was heard said by someone behind a group of shaven-headed guys._

_"Every night, thousands of these parasites stream across the border like some fucking piñata exploded." Derek said as this gained a few laughs from some of the guys to which Derek said: "Don't laugh!"_

_They immediately quiet down laughing when Derek said that._

_"There's nothin' funny goin' on here! This is about your life and mine; it's about decent, hardworking Americans falling through the cracks and getting the shaft because their government cares more about the constitutional rights of a bunch of people who aren't even citizens of this country!" Derek stated ferociously with a lot of agreements from the others "On the Statue of Liberty, it says "give me your tired, your hungry, your poor..." Well, it's Americans who are tired and hungry and poor, and I say until you take care of that, close the fucking book!" Derek states in frustration "Cause we're losing, we're losing our right to pursue our destiny, we're losing our freedom, so that a bunch of fucking foreigners can come in here and exploit our country!"_

_He was hitting every nerve among the folks around him._

_"And this isn't something that's going on far away, this isn't something that's happening places we can't do anything about it, it's happening right here, right in our neighborhood, right in that building behind you." Derek pointed at the grocery store behind them "Archie Miller ran that grocery store since we were kids here. Dave worked there, Mike worked there. He went under and now some fuckin' Korean owns it who fired these guys and is making a killing 'cause he hired 40 fuckin' border jumpers." He now was putting the nail on the coffin "I see this shit going on and I don't see anyone doing anything about it, and it fuckin' pisses me off!"_

_Now some of the guys started pulling up their masks on._

_"So look around you, this isn't our fuckin' neighborhood, it's a battlefield! We're on a battlefield tonight."_

_Jim sees Danny pulling up his mask and sees the camera in his hands, he was surely going to record this, but for Jim, this was going to be more than just that. This was more personal._

_"Make a decision: are we gonna stand by the sidelines, quietly standing while our country gets raped?"_

_"Fuck no!" _

_Are we gonna ante-up and do something about it?" Derek asked reaching for his mask."_

_Jim pulls his bandana over his mouth and his cap more to the side, so his eyes were the only thing visible._

_"Hell yeah!"_

_"You're goddamn right we are!" Derek shouted as he pulls his mask on. In a matter of moments after Derek's speech, everyone who was filled with rage and intense hatred and adrenaline all had their disguises on and started running for the entrance of the grocery store._

_Jim was one upfront, once he entered the store he could see the frightened looks of the people inside the store as the others stormed in and started rampaging the store and the clerks and customers either duck for cover or run for their lives._

_He saw Derek dragging the store owner back inside his office and yelling at him pinning against the wall "Don't you know it's against the law to hire fucking border jumpers, you nip bastard?!" throwing him to the ground while stomping the owner repeatedly._

_Jim walked around seeing that the guys were wrecking everything that was in their way and kicking every employee they could find. In one case, at the cash registers, three of the guys were seen holding a black woman down while pouring all kinds of products over her and saying they'll make a white woman out of her._

_He then noticed an employee walking to the back of the store right towards the freezer, for so far he knew had no exit. So he turns to Seth who was busy hitting bananas with his baseball bat._

_He ran up to him and asked: "Hey, can I borrow it!"_

_"Sure kid!" Seth gave him the bat as he turned to the downed employee who was trying to crawl away "I'll have fun with this little spic…."_

_Jim took the bat and started running for the other side of the grocery store and waited for the employee to come out. He saw there was indeed someone coming out, his shadow appeared to be a guy holding a gun._

_Before the employee could properly aim at some of the guys, he got the full swing of the bat against his chest and made him fall backward and dropped his gun which was a revolver._

_He went over to the barely conscious man and saw the gun, he bends down and grabbed the gun and puts it away in his pocket._

_"You piece of shit!" Jim jumped up seeing the employee tried to grab his bandana "You're nothing but scum! What kind of trailer park did you grow up?!"_

_Jim saw the meat cart next to him and grabs for the handle and threw it over the employee's body as it slammed down over his arms._

_"AAAAh!" he yelled in pain "It hurts!" _

_Jim quickly yelled at him "Don't talk shit about my parents, you motherfucker!" _

_"Come on, let's go! We're out of here! Everybody out! Let's go! Now! Now!" Jim turned around and sees everyone started to run for the exit._

_He starts going for the exit like the others, but before that he stops and pulled out of his jacket something._

_Danny ran up to him and tried to pull him by the sleeve "Let's go, man!"_

_"Wait, I got to do something before I leave." Jim stated as he fully pulls out a bottle with yellow liquid in it and a paper in the top and starts lightning it with his lighter "Watch me."_

_"Holy shit." Danny starts filming as Jim was looking for something to aim for. Derek and Seth stopped to see Jim holding unto a Molotov cocktail and watched what he was about to do._

_"Why!?" the black woman with her face covered in white substance "Why do this!?" she pleaded for an answer._

_"You want an answer!" Jim asked her as he threw his hand back "Here's your answer!" he threw the bottle over her head and it hits the bottles of alcohol behind her, creating an inferno of flames._

_Danny was stunned by what he saw while Derek only stared at Jim._

_The woman looked at him with a horrifying expression on her face, she looked at the young man with the bandana and sees the intense hatred in his eyes, she would never forget that look._

_"That's right kid, fuck them all!"_

_"Let's go!" Derek yelled as he grabbed the cash register, as the others ran out of the store with Jim grabbing Seth's bat to not leave it behind._

_Derek took one last action and threw the cash register through the glass window where the owner was laying and yelled out one last thing:_

_"Fucking border jumpers!" He yelled before running out of the store. Leaving the store destroyed and in one case in flames. In one moment everyone's life turned from a normal shopping trip into a living hell._

_End flashback_

"HEY FUCKFACE!"

"Huh?" Jim got out of his thoughts and saw that Seth looked rather irritated "What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to see the tape again where we fucked up that gook's store. Especially that scene where you threw that Molotov cocktail over that monkey's head." Seth smiled thinking of that clip "That was really funny when she had that look in her eyes."

"I don't know man, maybe but not now, I can't risk going back to jail," Jim said seeing that they were close to Venice Beach High "Anyway drop me off here, not in front of the school."

The minivan stopped at a parking lot just a block away from the school property so Jim could get out.

"Thanks for the ride, Seth."

"No problem, just so you know if you need anything, just stop by at Cam's place. Oh, I almost forgot." Seth reaches out from under his seat and pulls out a brown bag and gave it to him "Kept it for you when you were inside. Maybe come to good use."

Jim opened the bag to look at what it was "Oh…thanks man, this will come in handy."

"Anytime. Now I got to go. Bye." Seth said driving off. This left Jim to start walking towards the school and speak with Mr. Sweeney again. Telling him how his first day in school was.

* * *

**Next day**

Sindy was seen sitting on a bench with her own people, she looked around to see what she already knew was a fact. The fact that everyone was sitting by their own people, like the black stay with the blacks, the Latinos stay with themselves and the whites with all the cheerleaders were sitting at the far side. She noticed that by seeing some of her English classmates were among the groups.

But something caught her eye at the bench in the middle, she saw it was the white kid with the alleged tattoos of some white gang. Sitting by himself. She wondered who he was, his name she already knew but she'd never seen his face correctly. The thought kept coming up in her head ever since that interaction she had with him at the lockers yesterday. Where she saw he was not

She saw the guy named Jim waiting for the first hour of school to begin. To break his time he took the opportunity to be busy with his sketchbook and started drawing. Seeing he was into drawing she was watching and asking herself what he was drawing.

Then she saw that walking towards him was the other white kid in the class, Ben Samuels approached him.

"Hey, Jim. How are you doing?" Ben went to sit next to Jim.

Jim didn't raise his head "I'm doing alright, still want to talk to me?"

"W-well you're the only one in my class who doesn't scare me." Ben said taking a peek into Jim's sketchbook and was stunned that his mouth was making an 'O' sign "Wow…"

"What?"

"You drew that?" Ben said looking at the drawings "That looks good man, how did you learn that?"

Jim shook his head smirking as he got these reactions time to time. To note himself, he thought he could do better at drawing "It's nothing man, just a hobby of mine." He further explained how he was drawing from a very young age ever since he entered elementary school. They went on to talk for a good five minutes until the bell rang and they started walking towards the class.

* * *

Once inside, Jim and Ben kept talking to each other about his days in middle school and how he won the drawing competition.

Ben looked at some of the drawings Jim pulled out from his sketchbook, the first drawing was that of the palm trees in Venice Beach with the sand and sea and some seagulls, his second sketch was that of a storefront that was selling music with neo-lights. And the third showed a couple of friends laughing around while drinking from soda cans.

"This is really good." Ben said looking at the sketches with amazement at the precision and lining "I mean it, man."

"Ah, its nothing," Jim said taking the sketches back and putting them in his book before putting it away in his backpack. Just when that happens, Ms. Gruwell entered the classroom. After a few moments, she starts her lesson even though some of her students weren't paying attention.

"Settle down." Ms. Gruwell began writing on the chalkboard "Let's go to the first name on the list. Homer's, The Odyssey." Possible no one in this class ever heard of that name.

"I know of Homer the Simpson." Someone joked from behind the class and gained a few laughs, it came from one of the quieter students named Marcus.

"No, this Homer was an ancient Greek, but maybe he was bald just like Homer Simpson." Ms. Gruwell attempted to get in on the joke with a laugh, only to gain groans from the students.

"No offense Ms. Gruwell," Jim suddenly talked "but you just deaded that joke." Gaining a few agreements from the other students despite their differences.

"Okay, thanks for saying that." Ms. Gruwell laughingly thanked him as she went back to the chalkboard to resume the lesson.

Little did they know that something big was coming. To which they could've noticed by the absence of one person.

* * *

After done taking a leak in the toilet, Eva was walking towards the opposite direction to where her class was and instead started sprinting over to the back emergency entrance of the school.

Waiting there behind the fence door were members of her gang. She opened the door and let them come inside the school property and scatter around, all except one who walked up to Eva and kissed her briefly before joining in.

* * *

Inside class 203, the whole class was busy either talking or playing around while Ms. Gruwell was trying to help Ben with a question. Jim meanwhile was busy finishing off the task the teacher gave him.

"Quietly please,…" Ms. Gruwell politely asked to no avail as she focused back on Ben.

Then Jamal grabbed the bag of Gloria and threw it across the room causing a ruckus in the class.

"Ms. Gruwell, he took me damn bag!" Gloria yelled pointing at Jamal.

Jamal stood up denying it "I did,'t do nothing to your damn bag!" Jim just ignored it and looked out seeing students fleeing, something was happening. He put all his stuff inside his backpack and checked out what it was.

He stood up and walked over to the door, totally noticed by some of the other students who weren't paying attention to Jamal and Gloria's altercation. Even Ms. Gruwell didn't see him going up there with his backpack over his shoulder.

"Jim, what are you-"

A scream was heard and a couple of loud bangs were heard causing everyone in the room to be silent for once, all the students were seen checking each other out wondering what was happening.

A few like Sindy noticed that the whiteboy was reaching for something underneath his hoodie, what looked like to be a wooden handle of a part. Was he strapped?

Ms. Gruwell didn't seem to notice that of Jim and opened the door to see that students were running away from something and wondered what was happening.

Then suddenly the emergency fire bell rang off and suddenly most of the student's in-class 203 ran off towards the exits and ran passed Ms. Gruwell who tried to keep them inside the classroom.

She looked back to see that only a handful of students were left, all of the left in shock.

* * *

Jim ran out of the school building as fast as he could and soon found himself in the middle of the schoolyard that was filled with students who were either fleeing away to safety or others; they were fighting. He could see a couple of obviously older Latino gang members were fighting against anyone they could see, mostly he saw them fighting against a couple of black kids who threw it down and went with their fists.

He saw Marcus, who just earlier was not doing much in his class pushing around a Latino gang member before body slamming him to the ground and throwing a beating. Then turning around he saw two of the female students, Eva and Sindy going at each other and almost wrestling and punching each other repeatedly.

Suddenly he saw Ben trying to run away, but got caught in the mix of two Latino gang members bumping into him, they grabbed him and started to punch him in the stomach and face.

"Ben!"

"P-Please! I don't want any trou-" Ben was punched in the face again as he was shoved down by the two Latino gang members.

"Hey, filthy spic!"

The gang member turned around after hearing that and got slammed across the face by Jim so hard that he fell backward and he pulled on the guy's shoulder before hitting him in the face also.

"Jim!" Ben got pulled up by him and he said "You just-"

"Doesn't matter, go! GO!" Jim yelled to him as Ben did and started running. Just when Jim got grabbed from behind by the gang member he hit first.

The other gang member whipped the blood off his lips and said "You're fucked! Calling me a spic!" he punched Jim right in the stomach and then across the face. H

He went for another his but Jim quickly used his feet and kicked the gang member right in the crotch, hitting him square in the nuts and making him bend over in pain.

"Argh!"

Jim quickly kicked him again but this time he hit him right in the face, he then landed his feet on the ground and pushed all his weight against the gang member behind him and headbutted him. Making him free from the guy's grip, he turned around and grabbed the guy's shirt and began throwing punches at him, he was going at it like a boxer and kept punching the guy at a good pace.

Eva and Sindy got up and separated after fighting each other off for a good few minutes.

"Ey look, one of the ese's getting their asses kicked!"

Jim than just rushed for the gang member and threw him to the ground and began just punching him repeatedly in the head until he started bleeding from the mouth.

When he was done and see the bastard was barely conscious he grabbed him by the throat, he pulled out something from under his sleeve and it was revealed to be a ball-peen hammer and smashed it twice against the dude's arm, surely fracturing it.

Jim then got up fast and looked around before grabbing his backpack and concealing his hammer and started running away through the fleeing crowd. After fighting off three gang members he thought it was best to scam away before the cops arrived. Not knowing he just was seen by others of his class who were witnessing this from up far. He disappeared into the crowd before the cops could find him, just when the fighting on the schoolyard began to cool off.

It was a short fight but a shocking one. Especially for one certain English teacher who couldn't believe what she just witnessed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the 3rd chapter of this Xover. For my small audience.**

Miss Gruwell just arrived back at her home after returning home from her first day as an English teacher at Woordrow Wilson High School, and what she came back with was almost like an traumatic event that she yet had to dijest. She walked over to the bedroom and undid her pearl necklace from around her neck and placed it in her small jewelry box before exhaling the air out from her lungs like she could breath again.

"Erin?"

The front door opened and walking in came her husband Scott who looked like he arrived in a hurry. He walked into the bedroom and saw his wife standing there "Erin. You okay?"

She turned around and got hugged by her husband as she needed it after such a day like this.

"Come here." He comforted her as she must've gone through an hard day with what he heard what happened at her school through the news "Are you sure about this?"

"Well, its not exactly how I pictured it." Erin was still in some state of shock and replied with that "Please don't tell my dad. Hopefully he hasn't seen the news."

Scott nodded to her request "I won't say anything. Just, be careful alright."

The two kept hugging each other after such an rush day. This was going to be an long year teaching on Woodrow Wilson High.

* * *

**Meanwhile in Venice**

"Agh…that stings." Jim grimaced as he touched the side of his cheek where he got hit by the latino gang member. He was currently sitting on the steps of his apartment complex where his friend Danny who came by to check him out after hearing of the school yard brawl.

He pulled out a small pack of ice from his backpack and handed over to Jim "Here man, thought you would need it."

"Thanks." Jim puts the ice pack over his eye and it helped him out as he felt the stinging starting to stop slightly.

"Ah, that actually helps. Bastard got me good."

Danny snickered "Yeah, but you kicked their asses. Two of them. That's some impressive shit, Jimmy, stepping up to those Mexicans. Shows them not to mess with you."

"It was nothing." Jim shrugged it off "I actually took a risk. If one of those guards saw me I would be back inside now."

"Yeah, but look at you now." that voice came from someone else who was speaking to the two young men who turned to the darkness of the parking spots. Walking up was Seth and next to him was Cameron Alexander. An guy from the neighborhood who was the co-founder of the D.O.C and an white supremacist who is known well "You've survived your first day in the jungles with just some scratches. That's what I call an success."

Recognizing who it was Jimmy greeted "Hey Cameron, good to see you." He shook the old man's hand and gave a good grip on his handshake "Sorry I couldn't come and stop by. You know, the parole and all…"

"That's not a problem, kid." Cameron patted Jim's shoulder "No problem at all."

They conversate for like an half hour, with Cameron talking about how the movement has been growing up lately with more white gangs, skinheads and other small groups from Seattle to San Diego starting to talk to each other instead of fighting. There was progress coming with uniting the groups but it was slow progress, yet still it was happening. Whites started getting together, and with Jimmy already earning his battle scars, he was not going to be a poser.

"After what you've done. Those fucking cowards should've given you a medal." Seth spoke as he heard the story of Jim "I mean what were they doing while them animals were going at each other, saying kumbaya or shit like that?"

Jim answered "Well, they were trying to get the other students out. But some were just standing on their feet, shocked at what was happening. I even saw my English teacher just standing there rock solid at how even her own class was just fighting it out." The face on Gruwell's face was perhaps what he expected, shocked at the obvious what was tend to happen.

"Still, you didn't run off like a pussy." Cameron said complimanting the kid "You stood your ground at the foot of a warzone and fought back, that takes balls, kid, and you got them."

"Like I mentioned, it was nothing…" Jim said as he mentioned "Besides, I could've run away, but they ambushed one of my classmates, who was the only other white guy in the class. He was getting his ass beat up so I had to intervene." He stated removing the ice from his face.

Cameron laughed at that and said "You see that, boys. That's what a leader should do." Cameron noted as he slapped his hand on Jim's jacket "Seth, you can learn a thing or two from this kid. so do you, Danny. Don't want to disappoint Derek when he gets out, do you?"

"Yeah, if they let him out." Seth scoffed as he continued "I doubt they'll ever let him. They'll let ten niggers go off free before they let one white man go."

"Ain't that the god damn truth…." Danny muttered as he thought about it until he stood up and stretches out saying "Anyway, I'm going back home before my mom's gonna bitch about it."

Cameron offered "Let us drive you, son." He turned around and walked with him "we don't want you to be jumped by these monkeys, do we? Come on, Seth." They both walked over to Seth's van.

"Yeah, yeah." Seth said before saying "Goodnight, Jimmy boy."

He waved them off "Bye guys." he saw them leave in the minivan of Seth as he was left alone with the pack of ice, the cheek didn't hurt much anymore but he started walking up the stairs while holding his stomach where he still got punched pretty bad by the Mexican gang member.

Opening the door of his house he saw that the living room was still in the same state that he left, except for the fact that his uncle wasn't present. He most likely was going to his local bar that he always hangs out at night, so it left him alone in the house for a while. Putting the ice pack in the freezer he headed straight to his bedroom.

Jim just walked to his room and closed the door behind him before dropping his backpack next to him and just fell onto the bed and laid right there for the remainder of the night.

"Good night, I guess." He said to himself as he closes his eyes and tried to forget everything what had happened today.

* * *

Meanwhile in a luxurious restaurant of LA, a glass of scotch was just brought to the table by an waiter for an elderly gray haired man who was Erin Gruwell's father "So, how's work?"

Erin who took this as a belief it was meant for her responded to him "Dad."

"I was asking your husband." He corrected as it was meant for Scott who was reading from the menu.

"It's good. I mean, for now." He answered to his wife's dad "It's a good company. I pretty much run the computer data department."

"I thought you were an architect."

"He is." Erin answered to her dad "He's just taking a break."

"And the money's good for now." Scott added, they weren't on planning to rush things. They were both married of course but they still felt they still needed to settle things, try and find some good careers to get forward in their life.

Erin's father had a different take on it, especially on his daughter's decision to become an English teacher "How much are you making, $27,000 before taxes?"

Knowing this would happe, Erin responded "If you know, why are you asking?"

"So, what's everybody gonna eat?" Scott asked, getting used to the small-time arguments between the concerned father and the daughter.

"With your brains, you could run a major corporation," The father stated as it was true Erin was an gifted and smart woman "Instead, I worry all night because you're a teacher at Attica."

"Can you hear what you're saying?" Erin strongly disagreed with her father she looked up to "How many times have I listened to you about walking civil rights marches?"

"These gangs are criminals, not activists. You read the papers?"

"They said the same thing about the Black Panthers."

"I'll lay odds your kids don't even know who Rap Brown or Eldridge Cleaver were." He countered his daughter with sincerity "You're gonna waste your talents on people who don't give a damn about education."

That were some pretty hard words for Erin to swallow and for Scott to ignore.

"It breaks my heart." The father stated as he went for his drink "I tell you the truth."

Hearing her father speak like that brought Erin to respond to him "Well…I'm sorry. I can't help that."

Scott looked over to her wife and saw she was slightly down to hear how her father really felt about her career path. This was not unnoticed by the father who asked him "You think this is good enough for her?"

"Yeah, I do." Scott came to her defense "Look, Steve, if Erin thinks she can teach these kids, she can." He already backed her idea up, he had doubts in the beginning too but he trusted her and could only support her "You telling her she can't is just gonna make her mad."

Finding herself to smile again, she turned to her husband and was glad to know she got his support at least.

The father named Steve sighed "…Alright, I've tried. I knew you weren't going to give in," he then revealed something "so I made an reservation for another person I'd like you to meet."

Erin was stunned by what her father said and asked "Who is it?"

"That would be me."

The married couple turned around to see an African American bald headed man in a suit walk towards the table and he greeted the couple with an handshake as he introduced himself "Hello, its nice to meet you both."

"Likewise." Scott shook the man's hand as a polite gesture as Erin looked slightly confused.

"Dad, who is he?"

"This is Doctor Bob Sweeney. We know each other from the same golf club we play at."

Scott took an interest "You golf?"

"Sometime," Sweeney said sitting down on the chair as he was given a menu "when I have time in the weekends but my work takes my times off."

Erin questioned "Your work?"

"Dr. Sweeney is the principle of Venice High, and he's an outreach worker who has experience dealing with children who come from dysfunctional backgrounds…" Steve said to put it mildly taking his drink.

Erin turned right back to Dr. Sweeney and smiled "Its nice meeting you. But, I think I'll be fine." Thinking she will handle it even within a rowdy environment.

"Even so, I will be available for any questions you may have for me if you got any problems with the students." Sweeney said getting his glass of bourbon delivered to him "Because I got already a student from Venice transferred over there for his parole."

This got Erin to be curious to know "May I know who the student is?"

"Sorry, but I cannot disclose any information about any of my students who are currently on parole. Especially with record like his." Sweeney said not wanting to bring up Jim's record and possible ruin a fine meal and chance to get to know his friend's Steve's daughter and husband.

"Alright, I think that's enough for work." By this Scott chipped in and suggested "Shall we discuss what we shall eat?"

"I'd like a steak."

Steve chuckled at his friend "Of course you would."

They all three started to chuckle and began clearing their heads for this day and begin their their nice dinner.

* * *

**The next day**

In the middle of the school day, English class was going to begin yet again with some of the students already had arrived, one of them was Ben who obviously was sitting in the front row already, trying to mind to himself and not get into any trouble. Not forgetting what he had experienced in that riot the last time he was in school, he very much wanted to stay away from these people.

"Hey Ben."

Ben shook up a bit by the sudden call and turned around to see it was Jim and he sighs from relief "Jesus man, don't scare me like that."

Jimmy took the seat next to the only other white kid in class "Well, you'll need to be more careful about your surroundings than. Don't forget where you're at." Just when he said that, he saw some of the hispanics enter the classroom including Eva who was giving him an glare as she spotted him in the room, fair enough Jim returned it back as he was not going to be intimidated.

Noticing this immediately, Ben asked him "Dude, what is it between you and them?" apart from the fact he was saved by Jim from being jumped by the gang members the other day, he did not understand Jim's stance.

Instead of answering straight away to him, Jimmy just glared at them for a good moment as Eva returned the favor, this was soon also noticed by some of the other classmates who also knew about the fight between Jimmy and the gang members who Eva let inside the school.

"Hey you!"

The standoff got interrupted when Jamal suddenly walked up to Jimmy and had this glare in his eyes that he was shooting at him, getting a lot of attention from all the other classmates.

Not being slightly threatened, Jimmy asked in a bored tone "What now?"

"You from Venice, right?" Jamal asked as his flock of people started coming up to him as backup "I have an nephew there who goes to Venice High, told me a little something about you."

That got Jim to get up and face the loudmouth Jamal while getting himself completely surrounded by the other three friends of this guy who glared daggers at him.

"And what would that be?"

"You one of those bitch-ass D.O.C punks." Jamal spoke out loud that everybody in the room could hear with some knowledge "Ain't you?"

Ben being the only one with an confused look was wondering what they were talking about but was also equally terrified to ask, was Jim part of a gang?

Marcus, took notice of the altercation and kept observing it, wanting to know how it would end. Once he heard those initials, it had attracted his attention.

"Teacher's coming." Somebody warned the class, Jamal took a step back with his pack and started going back to their seats while glaring at Jimmy who did not budge down.

He sat back down as Ms. Gruwell entered the classroom, not noticing the obvious tension that was present between the small pack of Jamal and Jimmy.

* * *

Ms. Gruwell turned on the boom box and suddenly rap started to play and this got everyone to turn their heads to the teacher, most with confusion visible on their face. Was she really going for this option?

"I have this idea." The teacher turned smiling to her students "We're going to be covering poetry. Who here likes Tupec Shakur." Misprenoucing the name.

"It's Tupac." Jamal corrected her, much with cringe before he focused on the hooded Jim he still was suspicious off.

"Tupac, excuse me," Ms. Gruwell excused herself before turning to the rest "Raise your hand." By this, surprisenly just a few kids raised their hands up, including Jamal. Not many seem to be Tupac fans in this class.

"Really." Gruwell asked turning off the music "I thought there'd be more fans. I have the lyrics of the song printed out." She said pulling a few sheets and giving them to the first row of the class "I want you to listen to this phrase I have up on the board, it's an example of an internal rhyme."

Ms. Gruwell handed over the last sheets to Jimmy who just puts one on his desk before handing the rest to the guy behind him, by being this close she took a quick peak at the boy's face and saw the bruise on his face. She now was certain, it was him she saw fighting off the gang members who attacked Ben, it was maybe better to inform the staff about this boy's involvement but he was not causing problems for him so she left him off this time.

Focusing back on her class, Ms. Gruwell added to the lyrics "…What he does, is very sophisticated and cool, actually."

"'Man child in the Promised Land couldn't afford many heroes." Andre suddenly began "Moms was there only when pops was a no-show."

"And oh, I guess ya didn't know that I would grow to be strong, lookin' kinda pale was it the ale that pops was wrong." Marcus second rhymed out in the class.

"Where was the money that you sent you would send me," Jamal followed up receiving his paper "talked on the phone and ya sounded so friendly."

"Like we don't know Tupac." Andre stated to Ms. Gruwell.

Marcus added "White girl gonna teach us about rap?" This got most of the class to agree with the quiet oldest student. Pretty much annoyed with the white teacher who was by them wasting her time.

Ms. Gruwell tried to defend herself "You see what I was trying to do-"

"You have no idea what you're doing up there, do you?" Eva spoke up gaining the class's attention with her interruption Ms. Gruwell, catching the teacher off guard.

"You ever been a teacher before?" Eva added with the obvious disrespect in her voice towards Ms. Gruwell.

"Ooh," Jamal began standing up to his friends and high fiving them "she just got nailed." He laughed at the expense of Ms. Gruwell's himuliation at this point, which got her finally to act up after reaching her limit.

"Jamal, enough!" She raised her voice and gained the class's and Jamal's attention again, seeing she no longer was smiling anymore "You know what?, I want you to move to this front seat right here now." She points her finger right in front of her where Ben was sitting.

Jamal responded in a stupid way "What?"

"Come on." She repeated. Jamal continued to just sit down in his own seat "I'm sick of these antics in my classroom." Ms. Gruwell stated with her normal voice as she looked angry.

Jamal smirked at her "Well there you are. I was wondering when you would lose that damn smile."

"Switch with Ben." Ms. Gruwell ordered to him "Come on."

This did not sit well with Ben who asked her "I can't go back there alone.."

"You'll be fine." Ms. Gruwell replied, not knowing what she was doing.

Ben pleaded "No, it won't."

"I'm not sitting near him," the girl behind Jim said, Sindy. Referring to Jamal of course. Figures, the Asians and Blacks gang members in Long Beach weren't on good terms as nobody was in this shithole.

Jamal rejected it "I ain't going up there without my homey."

"I'm not sitting back there alone!" Sindy stated standing up.

"Shut up." Jamal told Sindy, in response her pack stood up and readied themselves while Jamal's pack did too, but before anything could happen Ms. Gruwell intervened.

"All right, you know what? I want you all to move to this side of the room." gesturing to the students sitting by the window "You in the back, Sindy and all of you, move to the back." She said to them with an final statement "Come on. Let's go. Now!"

A moment for was taken by everyone before they stood up and started to move around the classroom to get to their new seats, for a few exception like Marcus who kept himself to the back, most of the class moved to the opposite sides of their former spots.

It went on without any physical altercations but the cussing could be heard loud and clear.

"Get your ass back to China, all of y'all."

"You're all little midget-ass punks."

"Move before I stomp your peanuts."

The last one to move was noticeable Jim, who just sat there in the front as Ben already managed to move towards the back as Jamal was seen walking up towards his seat.

"Hey boy, I don't know if you heard, but move yo ass to the back." Jamal spoke to Jim who just didn't move, gaining the whole class's attention as this was the 2nd time today the two were close to an direct confrontation.

Ms. Gruwell didn't knew about it "Jim, you got to move to the back with Ben, okay?"

"You heard her, boy. Move yo ass." Jamal added.

"Jamal-"

"Yeah I heard you, Ms. Gruwell." Jim answered as he stood up from his seat and collected his belongings before he turned towards the back of the class. He really would like to put this mutt in his place, but Jim knew he couldn't risk due to his probation.

He sat right in the back of the class, just behind Ben and in front of the two of Sindy's back and Marcus who were watchin him, seeing he also was sitting just to the right of Sindy who also kept an eye on him.

Jim just ignored the stares as he puts his stuff on his desk and the class adjusted to their new fittings. They all turned their heads towards Ms. Gruwell who then gestured her hands and responded in an way that only antagonized the class.

"Everyone happy with the new borders?"

This was going to be an long year.

* * *

The next few weeks would be hard for Ms. Gruwell or now for short by the others 'Ms. G' to handle. Now that most of class 203 had no intentions to follow through.

There were days that almost a third or even half were skipping off, days where students walked off without saying anything and days where fights and rumbles broke of between individuals or even packs before hall guards came and intervened into it.

Days went by that Jim was just one of the few who actually attended the classes he was directed to follow. Not for the sake of being an role model or anything, he just did not want to be in trouble with Mr. Sweeney or anything related to the law, even if it meant going through the painful time that was High school.

There were a few things that the young D.O.C member happened to like, he and Ben became good friends and were mostly left by themselves as they worked on their school work, being lucky that they shared almost the same schedule.

Plus, there was also one subject he liked to attend, which was Art class. This was one of the few classes that he and Ben did not have, but he did share with some of the others, like the very silent Marcus, an guy he found out was an gang member who he knew was so into it, that his own mother kicked him out of her own house since she did not want to deal with the dangerous gang life.

Then there was Tito, a latino guy who he found out wasn't much of an banger but more of a tagger. Always finding opportunities to try and use his spray cans to tag his initials around, finding out on his first day of school, Tito was actually busted for tagging up on a school wall and being forced to paint it over in front of everyone who could see it.

And as lastly was Sindy, the girl he had a locker next to him, she was from Cambodia apparently, an big group of Asians that resided in Long Beach. From much he could guess, she and the others were most likely Cambodian refugees that fled from that communist hellhole that was the Khmer Rouge and that she also was in the ganglife.

He did not befriend any of these people, it just happened to be that they share the same Art class. Most of these facts were from rumors he just happened to hear. But why would he care? He didn't like any of them, they did not like him. For all they knew his affiliations…

* * *

It has been a while since Ms. Gruwell's outburst and forced changes had occurred, and not much had changed much, not for the good at least. Jim could say that at least on his own accord as he now was sitting in Mr. Sweeney's office. It was an Friday night, and because yet another few hours of traffic, it was late that Jim had to meet Sweeney close to his time of curfew.

Walking off Venice High, Jim was seen walking his way home. Knowing fully well it was almost his curfew and that he needed to go home right now before he could get into trouble.

"Fuck this curfew, fuck that school and fuck this life man…" Jim said to himself as he hated every part of it as he made his way. Not knowing that when he crossed the street, an car was seen seen driving up in the corner.

Inside the car were Long Beach gang members, some of whome were present in the massive school fight just a few weeks ago and they recognized the guy.

The car began to turn right towards the street where Jim was seen walking into an corner, not that far where he lived, this little corner was a shortcut that Jim often used. An narrow street, Jim walked right through it as he was just big enough for an car to drive through.

It was then when Jim began hearing something, he heard the sound of an vehicle and turns his head around to see an car at the end of the narrow road and that it was about to enter it.

"Shit!" Jim could already see where this was going and was making a run for it, not needing to figure it out fast.

The car drove up into the narrow road and began speeding right up, destroying a few trash cans and it was getting closer to the young Walker. Jim was running as fast as he could as he saw the end of the narrow street whilst he sprint as fast as he could but then saw behind him that the car was just meters away.

He knew he was going to get hit and so he took one decision as he jumped-

THACK!

"AARGH!"

Hit by the car, Jim's body rolled over the car and fell into a pile of garbage that softened his landing as he laid there with the full impact of the car's weight into his body, the crash was heard loud throughout the neighborhood.

The car was seen driving off by some of the residents who ran outside to see what had happened to which some were beginning to ask. Some even started to call 911 for what happened while others were running for the place where the car was seen driving away from and where the scream was…

But when they arrived at that corner, there was nothing there.

* * *

"Shit...Shit..."

Jim was in pain, terrible pain, visible he was limping towards the apartment complex as fast his injured leg allowed him.

Reaching the door, he opened it with his keyes and fell through the open entrance with his full weight as he could not take it anymore and was seething in pain.

"Damn it…" Jim cursed to himself as he tried to get back up, he noticed that his uncle wasn't home again. So he made his way towards the bedroom.

In the bedroom he laid his body on the matrass and grabbed the landline phone he got from the living room and began dailing in a number. Waiting for the number to respond, he hoped they still were awake.

"Please, pick up." Jim begged as the pain was getting worse "I need help..."


End file.
